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Unfortunately I don’t have a scanner, so I just copied the rough layout without the estimated grid scale into Photoshop — it should give a good idea of positions, if not scale (for instance, the natural expansions on the side will not be so squished).

I’ve decided to use the Protoss jungle tileset and to call the map Excavation, following the simple theme of a Protoss dig site interrupted by…interstellar war!

The idea here is to off-set teammates so they have slightly different responsibilities. The players in the back are more protected (in theory, at the very least they will take longer to be scouted), and are in a position to help out their buddy who is closer.

Off-setting player starts also helps do away with the feeling that you’re playing on a square — as the geometry is laid out, the walls of the map will probably be jutting in more and displacing a lot of the features on this rough map.

Each player sort of gets their “own” natural expansion, with a third between teammates. Late game fights should be over the rich expansions blocked off by the rocks. There is a third rock entrance to the center of the map — if a player has fortified the entrance; try breaking in from the side.

Tall grass will probably be spread around a lot more, but I’d like it to exist for hiding scouts close to enemy bases, hiding small forces to ambush workers moving to expansions, etc. The watchtowers are not vital, but they’re there to provide line of sight on the rich expansions and the side and middle approaches of the map if players want to use them.

The central structure should be a simple two layered stack of elevated ground, the idea being that players have the option to place a force on the top level to lay an ambush if it turns out that area becomes high traffic. Protoss can warp units in there, Terrans can set up siege tanks, and the Zerg can hide some Roaches up there.

The rich expansions are in depressed ground for a couple reasons: workers cannot get down there without an air drop, or if the rocks are destroyed. So they can just be big “excavation” holes with rocks blocking the three pathways down. The other reason is it adds to the flavour of the map and should help sell it.